A Home Restored by EAST SOS Becomes a Space for Life and Creativity: Liubov’s Story

Liubov, 29, from Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, lives with her parents, helps with household chores and tends the garden. In her free time she creates beaded artworks, jewelry, and toys.

Her family’s home was damaged during repeated enemy shelling, russian mines were even scattered across the garden. During a cluster bomb attack, the roof suffered significant damage. During the occupation, 16 people –  relatives and neighbors – shared just two rooms for three months, supporting one another.

The team of the East SOS Charity Foundation repaired the roof replacing damaged sections and reinforced vulnerable areas, making the home livable once again.

 “When the house was repaired, a sense of calm returned. Now I can dream and create again,” says Lyubov.

Her passion for arts began in seventh grade in the village of Bugaiivka, Izium Raion, when she first saw beaded embroidery. From that moment, she started making her own paintings, brooches, and later, toys. Liubov experimented on her own, explored new techniques, and gradually developed her unique style.

Even during six months of occupation, she continued to create using whatever materials were at hand. After Izium was liberated, she gained more opportunities for her craft: ordering supplies and testing new ideas. One of her dreams is to create her own nativity scene, for which she has already purchased the fabric.

Before the full-scale invasion, Liubov worked in a factory and shared her creations with colleagues and friends. Due to the war, she no longer has that opportunity. Now, in her restored home with her parents, she has a safe space to live, care for her family, and continue her creative work.

If you need assistance restoring housing damaged during hostilities in the Izium District, Barvinkove hromada, Lozova District, or Blyzniuky hromada (Kharkiv Oblast), as well as the Oleksandrivka hromada (Donetsk Oblast), please contact our call center Monday through Saturday at 0800 332 614 (8:00 AM–6:00 PM).

Since October 2025, as part of the project Integrated Relief Support for Vulnerable Populations in Severely Affected Areas of Kharkiv Oblast, funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), the team of the EAST SOS Charity Foundation has restored 125 homes.